1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to attachable arrangements, e.g., harnesses, belts, fall protection arrangements, and the like, and in particular to an attaching structure, e.g., a buckle, for use in connection with such attachable arrangements.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is known in the art, there exist various embodiments and arrangements that are attachable to a person to provide assistance to the wearer or ensure the wearer's safety in certain situations. Such attachable arrangements come in many forms, including, but not limited to, harnesses, safety belts, climbing harnesses, fall protection harnesses, safety harnesses, and fall protection arrangements. While there are many variations in such attachable arrangements, all normally include one or more elongate straps that are adjustable to fit different wearers. In operation, a person will don the attachable arrangement, attach the straps around the specified parts of his or her body, and adjust these straps to fit comfortably, yet effectively.
For example, full body harnesses are widely used for lifting and lowering individuals in dangerous situations and as a primary component in a personal fall arrest system. These harnesses can also be used for work positioning, travel restriction, ladder climbing, rescue retrieval, and evacuation. While these harnesses are used mainly in an industrial setting, and particularly the construction industry where the likelihood and danger of falls from heights is both numerous and significant, a full body harness can be used in various other applications in which total suspension and support of the body must be ensured, either expectedly or unexpectedly. Various harnesses are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,804,830; 5,957,091; and 4,712,513, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In order to appropriately don and removably attach such strap-based attachable arrangements, various attaching structures are used. For example, these attaching structures are located at specific positions on the various straps, and often allow the user to don the attachable arrangement, engage the attaching structures to secure the attachable arrangement on the user's body, and thereafter, adjust the straps (again, through one or more of the attaching structures) in order to obtain a comfortable fit. Such attaching structures include, but are not limited to, a clip, a buckle, a mating arrangement, an actuatable structure, and the like.
Many attaching structures are in the form of a frame with some mechanism operatively engaged therewith for use in manipulating one or more of the straps of the attachable arrangement. In particular, one strap is attached to a first end of the frame, and the same or another strap is adjustably and moveably engaged with the mechanism, e.g., a friction mechanism, a mechanical arrangement, or the like. In order to adjust the moveable strap, the user must grasp the frame and move it to some position, and simultaneously pull the engaged strap to tighten or loosen it. Accordingly, the frame becomes an integral part of the manipulation and strap adjustment process.
One common drawback associated with many of these existing attaching structures (as discussed above) stems from the manipulation of the frame to effectively tighten or loosen the strap engaged with the mechanism. In particular, such prior art frames are small and difficult to grasp and move, thereby leading to difficulty in adjustment. Further, and based upon the size and form of the frame of the attaching structure, when attempting to adjust the engaged strap, the user's hand often slips off of the frame. Still further, in the type of environments where such attachable arrangements are utilized, it is common that the user will be wearing gloves on his or her hands. Attempting to manipulate the frame of the attaching structure using a gloved hand proves additionally difficult, and leads to greater slippage and the inability to effectively adjust the strap.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art of attachable arrangements, such as belts, harnesses, safety equipment, and the like, for an improved attaching structure. In particular, there remains a need for an improved attaching structure for use in connection with adjusting the straps of such an attachable arrangement. There is a further need for an attaching structure, e.g., a buckle, that provides additional gripping and manipulation characteristics for use in adjusting the straps of an attachable arrangement. There is a still further need in the art for an attaching structure that permits quick and effective manipulation and adjustment of the straps of the attachable arrangement in the field, while the user is dressed in safety equipment, e.g., gloves.